Besides the apppropriate lockdowns across the country to stem the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the country needs to be put on alert when returning to work on Monday.

This is a terrorist attack. It has the probability of a domestic terrorist attack, but, none the less it is a terrorist attack.

The USA has a national alert system that was regularly used after September 11, 2001, and that should be applied until more is known about this bombing.

It doesn't feel right. Nashville is not the place where extremists go to make a point. I think the fact this was Christmas is less about the holiday/Holy Day and more about the area being empty to reduce any deaths from the explosion.

The staging of this bombing was studied. It was decided when and where this would take place. This was planned and did not occur by some angry person.

The buildings that have shattered glass as the major damage probably have more damage than is evident. They are beautiful buildings by the way. Iconic for the city and area. But, concussive force of air can do damage that would erode the structure slowly over a shorter period of time than it would normally occur. Before any of the buildings are occupied adding weight and stress to them engineers must check the foundations and the floors above the foundation to be sure it is sound. Bricks are beautiful and stand up to intense wind like hurricanes, but, a force that was unleashed by the bomb would create high velocity that could disrupt the masonry. All the buildings in the area of the explosion, especially those showing damage, must be inspected for safety before they can be occupied again.

December 26, 2020
By Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs and Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio

Officials said at least 41 businesses, (click here) including several historic buildings, had been damaged by the explosion.

Federal agents said on Saturday that they do not yet know who carried out the Christmas Day explosion that ripped through the city’s downtown, mangling storefronts, injuring three people and leaving the city mystified as to the motive.

Investigators were tracking down more than 500 leads, working to piece together what happened before an R.V. — apparently rigged with explosives and parked on a street in the tourist district — detonated in the early hours of Christmas. The blast devastated the neighborhood, which regularly draws thousands of people each night, and officials said the city was lucky no one was killed.

Douglas Korneski, the F.B.I. special agent in charge of the Memphis office, said at a news conference that more than 250 F.B.I. employees were working the case, but that they still had many unanswered questions....

I am curious about the gun violence that prompted the 911 call. Nashville has a higher gun violence rate than Chicago which is chronically pointed to as an out of control city.

I don't know if it was related to the bombing. I don't really believe in coincidence, but, there were a series of incidents that makes the timing of the bomb explosion appear to be aligned with the actions of a 911 call. It is hard to believe it was all coincidence.

January 3, 2020

By Beth Joslyn Roth

Gun violence in Tennessee is a public health crisis. (click here)

Based on the most recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, we are 11th for firearm mortality, seventh for firearm homicide, and fourth for both youth gun death and gun homicides. 

According to data reported by The Tennessean, Tennessee is currently fifth in the nation for women murdered by men, most often with a firearm and almost always by a man they know. Tennessee has ranked in the top 10 states for women murdered by men for the last decade.

Tennessee also has an ongoing problem with unintentional shootings involving children with access to negligently stored guns. In 2017, Tennessee led the nation in these types of shootings. There have been 25 of these incidents this year, resulting in the deaths of eight kids....

The bombing was a complete surprise and it could be the act of a lone wolf. The surprise worries me. If there was no suspicion of this act of violence, how much more is not suspected? I think the country needs to be on alert and their State Bureaus of Investigation should be reviewing any potential to this level of violence that may be under the radar.

December 26, 2020
By Kimberlee Kruesi, Michael Balsamo, and Eric Tucker

Nashville, Tenn. – Federal agents converged Saturday (click here) on the home of a possible person of interest in the explosion that rocked downtown Nashville as investigators scoured hundreds of tips and leads in the blast that pulverized city blocks on Christmas morning and damaged dozens of buildings.

More than 24 hours after the explosion, a motive remained elusive as investigators worked round-the-clock to resolve unanswered questions about the mysterious blast, which took place on a mostly deserted street on a sleepy holiday morning and was prefaced by a recorded warning advising those nearby to evacuate.

Still, there were signs of progress in the investigation, as the FBI revealed that it was looking at a number of individuals who may be connected to the investigation. Officials also said no additional explosive devices have been found – indicating no active threat to the area. Investigators have received around 500 tips and leads....

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